Seal genetics

Very little is known about the genetics of the Icelandic seal populations and their origin.

Harbour seal

The pattern and strength of population structure provides insights into factors that affect gene flow and the extent to which a population is connected to others. Such factors have implications for the retention of genetic diversity (often used as a proxy for the potential of a population to adapt to environmental change) and the movement of beneficial alleles between populations. In this project, samples from by-caught harbour seals have been analysed and are being compared to the genetic compositions of harbour seals in other areas of Europe.

The project is in co-operation with geneticists at the Natural History Museum of Denmark.

Grey seal

Knowledge on the grey seal population is especially scarce. The pattern and strength of population structure provides insights into factors that affect gene flow and the extent to which a population is connected to others. Such factors have implications for the retention of genetic diversity (often used as a proxy for the potential of a population to adapt to environmental change) and the movement of beneficial alleles between populations.

In this project, genetic analysis will be carried out on muscle samples collected from by-caught grey seals. Results will then be compared to the genetic composition of grey seal populations in other areas. The project is in co-operation with geneticists at the Natural History Museum of Denmark and the University of Maine.